Update May 26, 2:34 p.m.: The Vancouver Aquarium has informed us that the girl doesn't have "seal finger"—treating her for it was a precautionary measure.

One family's trip to a local dock turned harrowing after their 6-year-old was dragged into the water by a sea lion.

The girl, who has not been identified by name, was observing sea lions at a dock in British Columbia when one of the marine animals bit her dress and pulled her into the water. Her grandfather hastily jumped in to save her, and she made it out OK—sustaining only a superficial injury (one that just affects the outer layers of skin).

According to the Vancouver Aquarium, the girl is at risk of having something called "seal finger" (officially, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae), a rare but potentially serious infection that’s most commonly transmitted when an open wound comes into contact with a bacteria from seals and sea lions.

(Before we go any further: Seals and sea lions are different animals. Seals have small flippers, don't have visible ear flaps, and scoot around on their bellies on land. Sea lions have larger flippers, do have visible ear flaps, and walk on land using their flippers.)

Seal finger is a rare infection. And no, it doesn't just affect your fingers.

I know—the name is a little misleading. But you can get seal finger on any body part—including your finger, your leg, or your arm (and other places, too). You're at risk of getting the infection when you have a cut, tear, or open wound that comes into contact with a specific kind of bacteria called Mycoplasma phocacerebrale. If certain sea creatures bite you and break the skin (which is what happened here), you're also at risk of getting the infection. Similarly, in the extremely unlikely event that you handle seal meat with a cut on your finger, you’re also at risk of getting this infection. Even though sea lion contact is the easiest way to get it, in incredibly rare cases, it’s also transmitted when this specific bacteria from raw poultry, fish, or meat gets into a tear in the skin.

But before you freak out, remember: Seal finger is pretty uncommon. How often do you touch sea lions or handle seal meat? My point exactly. Unless you regularly deal with seals or other sea creatures, it's not something you need to worry that much about. (And if you do handle sea creatures in your field of work, you're probably well aware of seal finger already—Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., a board-certified infectious disease physician and an affiliated scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Health Security, tells SELF it's a "known occupational hazard" for people who are regularly exposed to seals.)

Often, seal finger just looks like a normal infection. But the severity depends on how deep the cut is.

Seal finger might sound weird, but it actually looks and acts like any other infection. If you have it, the affected area may be tender, swollen, and red or purple in color—and you might develop a blister there. You may experience a fever, and your lymph nodes may swell—pretty standard stuff.

But that doesn't mean you should leave it untreated. As with any infection, if you leave seal finger alone, it can spread and penetrate your skin more deeply—and that can lead to more serious problems. William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious diseases specialist at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells SELF the bacteria can start to migrate. In rare instances, it can cause septic arthritis (bacteria-related joint inflammation) And in even rarer cases, it can get into your bloodstream and cause a more life-threatening infection.

And seal finger treatment is actually pretty straightforward.

Back in the day, people with untreated seal finger would have to have their affected body parts amputated, because they became unusable. But that worst case scenario is almost unimaginable today, Adalja says. "These days, we treat it pretty promptly with antibiotics," he says. "If you don't treat it and it's not diagnosed, obviously complications can ensue. But it's not a major concern anymore."

If you're worried you have seal finger—or any other infection—just pay a visit to your doctor. They can test the area to see what kind of infection you have, diagnose you, and treat you with a proper antibiotic. It's that simple.

If you're personally concerned about seal finger, practicing good hygiene is a pretty solid way to avoid it.

The best way to avoid seal finger—or any other infection—is to practice good hygiene. If you injure your finger, treat it properly. If you're cooking, wash your hands before and after. If a cut looks infected, see a doctor. Do all that, and you'll be well on your way to avoiding seal finger—or at least treating it if you somehow get it.